


Where Would I Be Without Them?

by andreashipss



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Angst, Family Feels, FitzSkimmons - Freeform, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, HuntingBird, Maybe background Philinda, Mentions of other ships, Mommy May - Freeform, Multi, Philinda - Freeform, StaticQuake, Team Playground - Freeform, background StaticQuake, fitzdaisy, mama may, other ships, papa phil, skimmons - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-25
Updated: 2018-09-01
Packaged: 2019-05-13 18:30:00
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 10,285
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14754047
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/andreashipss/pseuds/andreashipss
Summary: A series of one shots centered around Skye/Daisy and her SHIELD family. Mostly platonic, but you’re welcome to imagine any chapters as romantic!~Find me @andreashipss on tumblr, requests are always welcome!





	1. Daisy + FitzSimmons

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Set during season 4

Daisy jolted awake, sweating and shivering at the same time. Still in a daze, she cried out for Lincoln and reached towards the other end of the bed. When her hand met nothing but air, reality washed over her in a wave and she managed one solid thought. _I don’t want to be alone._

She rubbed at her eyes and slowly stood, ignoring the ache that still lingered in her arms. Daisy’s feet seemed to move of their own accord as she crept through the halls. She finally reached a door and gently tried the knob, relieved to find it unlocked. She slowly pushed it open enough to slip through. 

Daisy closed her eyes and listened quietly to the steady rhythm of the two on the bed. Fitz and Simmons continued to sleep peacefully, wrapped in each other’s arms. Her body unconsciously ached, starving for a comforting touch that she hadn’t experienced in a long time. 

She imagined what would happen if she crawled into bed with them. Her friends (was she allowed to still call them that?) might not object. She could finally be held the way she hadn’t felt since Lincoln. 

Instead, Daisy shook the thoughts out of her head. She didn’t deserve their kindness, not after everything. So she curled up on the floor at the foot of the bed, relishing the small comfort of simply knowing they were there. That she was home, if that was what this place even was. Thoughts still haunted her mind, but she eventually let Jemma’s light sighs and Fitz’s gentle snores lull her to sleep. 

~

Fitz was pulled from his sleep to the sound of soft, terrified whimpers. He looked over to Jemma, after everything it wasn’t unusual for her to have nightmares, but was shocked to find her face was relaxed and peaceful. He frowned, listening as the cries continued. 

Unsure of what to do, he gently shook Jemma awake and pressed a finger to his lips. Her eyes widened in fear for a moment before she seemed to hear the noise too. 

“Who the bloody hell is that?” She murmured, still groggy from sleep. Together, they crawled to the edge of the bed and peered over. 

Daisy was curled into a tight ball, hands clutching the side of her head and her face was scrunched up. “No, no, no, please-“ A broken sob tore from her throat. “ _please_ ”

“Why on earth is Daisy in our room?” Fitz wondered, exchanging a worried glance with Jemma. “We have to wake her up right? We can’t just leave her there suffering.”

Jemma slowly lowered herself off the bed and sat next to Daisy, frowning. She reached a tentative hand out and placed it on her head, brushing gently through her dark, short hair. “But...but what if when we wake her up she panics and uses her powers?”

Fitz followed her down, reaching out and rubbing a soothing hand up and down Daisy’s spinal cord. “She shouldn’t have to stay in a nightmare, Jemma. She came into the room for a reason.”

After another glance, Jemma gently shook Daisy’s shoulder until she gasped, eyes shooting open and hands flying up protectively. 

The inhuman blinked, looking around in confusion. Realizing where she was, Daisy quickly sat up and furiously rubbed at her eyes. She cursed and jumped to her feet. “Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry I didn’t mean to wake you. I should-I should go.”

Jemma and Fitz reacted just as quickly, standing up and blocking her way. “Hey, you don’t have to leave.”

“Well, we all know I’m good at that.” Daisy tried to move around them, but Jemma placed a gentle hand on her forearm, trying not to hurt the bruises. Daisy flinched at the touch, but didn’t pull away. She could feel the warmth coming from the other woman’s hand, and it radiated through her entire body. It was soothing, and as difficult as it was to admit, she didn’t want to pull away. 

The doctor in Jemma wanted to say how sleeping on the floor would do nothing good for her arms, but instead she quietly murmured, “How often do you have nightmares?”

Daisy shoved her feelings back down, locking them in a box where they couldn’t get out and hurt someone. Ignoring the thoughts screaming for Jemma’s comfort, she stepped back and let the hand fall back to Jemma’s side. 

“It’s not like you care.” 

Her words were sharp and harsh, definitely not what the couple in front of her deserved, but cold was something Daisy could do. If she was cold, people couldn’t get close, so she couldn’t hurt them. Cold was not feeling the crushing sensation on her chest when she woke up to an empty bed every morning. Cold was not feeling disappointment when someone eyed her warily, or flinched away from her touch. Cold was fooling everyone around her. Cold was safe. 

“Come on, Daisy. That’s not fair and you know it,” Fitz spoke, letting a flash of anger show in his eyes. 

Good. Let them be angry at her. After everything, she wanted someone to be angry at her. To blame her. 

But it wasn’t anger in his eyes. It was something else. He seemed exasperated. He was waiting for Daisy to accept, to admit to wanting his comfort. So no, it wasn’t anger in his eyes. Frustration, maybe, but it was layered under so much _care_ that Daish wanted to scream. She wanted to scream and yell and beg and tell them to hate her, to lock her up, to punish her, because someone has to. 

“Look, It’s none of your concern anyway. I’m sorry I disturbed you, it won’t happen again.” 

“Not our concern,” Jemma scoffed at the same time as Fitz incredulously said, “It bloody well is our concern!”

“If you’re worried about how this affects my performance in the field, don’t worry. I’ve got a handle on it. So no, it isn’t your concern.” 

That’s what was important at the end of the day, right? If she was an asset to SHIELD. It didn’t matter if she was falling, spiraling into a dark pit she would never be able to climb out of. It didn’t matter if she was tearing herself apart. All that mattered was if she could still be a weapon for them to deploy. Send her in, have her destroy a couple buildings and property, fight a couple guys, then tug on the leash and bring her back. She could hurt her bones and bruise her arms all she wanted, nothing would change. 

Maybe she didn’t want it to. Maybe that was the scary part. The fact that she relished feeling materials crumble when she wanted them too, feeling bones break and bodies collide. She wanted to live with this pain and project it out into the constant vibrations. She wanted to keep going until someone realized she was too much trouble and stop her. 

These thoughts terrified her the most. The thoughts that she was a monster, a cause of mass destruction. That she would turn on everyone, except this time there would be no HIVE to blame. It would be all her. 

“I could care less about how well you do in the field. It’s our concern because you’re part of this family Daisy, and no matter how much you try and change that, you always will be. All of us will always stand by you.”

Jemma’s words alone made her knees weak. She knew she was right. That these optimistic idiots would support her and believe in her no matter how many times she screwed everything up. 

But these optimistic idiots were also her family, or as close as she’ll ever get to one. What even was a family? It was something she’d never experienced. The nuns, the foster homes, her van, none of it felt right. None of it made her feel whole and cared for the way she felt at SHIELD. 

Daisy pressed her trembling lips together, as these thoughts overwhelmed her. There was the possibility of living her life with these people, with her _family._ However, the darker part of her mind reminded her of Lincoln, of Trip, of her parents, of Bobbi and Hunter, of everyone she had hope about staying with, but ultimately left. 

But the two people in front of her. She still had a family. It was broken, and it was her fault. But still, they were here. She thought of this, of all of them.

A single tear slid down her cheek, and the cold melted around her. Daisy’s shoulders slumped as her knees gave out. Thankfully, Fitz rushed forward and caught her. They pulled her to the bed, trapping her between them. She didn’t have it in her to protest, to push away. 

Her mind went to the others just down the halls. To Mack, and the fond way he would call her _tremors._ To how he forgave her after she nearly killed him. 

To May, who had taken Daisy under her wing, and trained her. Who had taught Daisy so much more than how to fight. Who was as close to a mother as she was ever going to get. 

Her mind went to Coulson, who had been on her side since the beginning. Who had found her in a cheap, worn out van and stuck by her. Through all of her mistakes and stumbles through SHIELD, who never stoped believing in her, who was the most important person in her life. It was Coulson. It’s always been Coulson.

They were here. After everything, they were here. Holding her. Comforting her. Caring for her. Loving her. 

Daisy let out a sob, finally letting out the sadness that had been eating away at her insides. She buried her face into someone, she wasn’t even sure where she ended and Fitz started or where Fitz ended and Simmons started. Her eyes squeezed shut, tears leaking out anyway. She did beg, she begged for them to let go, to push her away, to hate her. To do _something_ to satisfy the self hatred inside of her. Jemma and Fitz simply held tighter.


	2. Daisy + Team

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Set post season 2

She would change her name. 

Skye no longer sounded right. No longer held the strength it used to give her. No longer gave her the guts to stand up and scream that, no, her name wasn’t Mary Sue Poots, it was Skye, and she refused to answer to anything else. The name Skye no longer felt like her. 

She would be Daisy now. Because Skye was the lost girl who spent her entire life wondering where her parents were. Skye’s every action was driven by whether or not it would bring her closer to discovering where she came from. 

She’s tired of being Skye. Skye was a kicked and unwanted puppy. Weak. Skye was before San Juan, before Afterlife, before Cal and Jiaying. 

Daisy is who she is now. Daisy knows where she came from, knows who her parents are. She came from a messed up past, and her parents were psychopaths, and she’s _moving forward._ Or at least working on it. Daisy’s decisions aren’t going to be for her parents. They’re going to be for herself. 

Someone knocks on the door to her room, and she looks away from the ceiling, tilting her head and calling out, “It’s open.”

May opens the door, looking at her with all the kindness May is capable of showing. “Hey, the team is doing a movie marathon. You up for it?”

She’s tempted to say no, she would rather lay here and think about all the possibilities and the _what ifs_ but that’s what she’s been doing for the past week or so. Instead, she nods and stands up, following May out the door and into the lounge. 

Bobbi smiles at her, moving over and giving her a spot next to her and Jemma. As she crosses the room to take it, Mack calls out, “Tremors,” then tosses her a beer. 

“Glad you could join us, Skye.” Coulson’s hand rubs her shoulder as he moves to take his seat. 

“No.” Everyone frowns, looking at her as she situates herself and pops open the beer. “It’s Daisy now, sir.” She was addressing Coulson, but it was clear she meant for everyone else to be aware of it as well. “Daisy Johnson.”


	3. Daisy + Jemma

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Based off of true events that happened to Chloe Bennet and Elizabeth Henstride

Daisy, Jemma, Mack, Fitz, and May all gathered in the conference room where Coulson was waiting for them. 

“Director Mace is throwing a party and everyone associated with Shield is expected to attend.”

“A party to celebrate what exactly?” Mack asked, raising an eyebrow. 

“New recruits. And the fact that we’re alive.”

Daisy snorted. “Yeah, I’ll pass.”

“I second that.” May made a move to stand up. 

“He made it clear anyone hoping to be a part of the Shield team has to go. All part of building trust, according to him. And we all know-“ Coulson altered his voice, trying to mimic Mace. “A team that trusts is a team that triumphs!”

“What’s he gonna do? Fire his biggest asset?” May pointed at Daisy, who offered a wry grin. 

“And with all due respect sir, is now really the best time for a party? What with everything going on?” Jemma piped up. 

Coulson sighed, rubbing his face. His face lit up as he came up with an idea. “There’ll be alcohol! You can drink to your heart’s content! And I heard a rumor there would be churros too.”

Daisy definitely perked up at that, and after a brief pause reluctantly agreed, the others following. 

“Should’ve led with that,” Fitz muttered, smiling softly. 

And so, the next day they found themselves at a huge mansion, complete with a pool and food stands scattered around. The place was full of people, from field agents to scientists, from middle age people to some who looked just out of college. 

Daisy wrinkled her nose, shifting uncomfortably in her dress. She was well aware of all the people staring at her as soon as she walked in. “It’s like they’ve never seen an Inhuman before,” she complained to Jemma and Fitz as they wandered around. Mack had gone off with Yo-Yo, who had also been invited, and May and Coulson were conversing with the higher ups. 

“It’s not cause you’re inhuman, I don’t see anyone looking at Yo-Yo,” Jemma placed a hand on her and Fitz, careful not to lose them as they worked their way through a crowd. 

“It’s cause you’re a bloody superhero!” Fitz grinned at her, raising his voice to be heard over the music. 

“A few weeks ago I was a vigilante and a terrorist, now I’m a hero.” Daisy scoffed. “Did you know a kid asked for my autograph the other day? I was worried he might faint.”

The three of them laughed as they slipped outside, where it was slightly less crowded. 

“Coulson mentioned churros, do you know where they are?” Jemma wondered, glancing around. 

“Ooh, I could really go for some of those right now. Might make this party _slightly_ less annoying.” Daisy licked her lips, eyes scanning the area. 

Mack came up to them then, and said, “Turbo, this guy was talking about some cool invention or whatever that he’s planning, come talk to him.” 

Fitz nodded, turning to girls and saying, “Good luck on your churro hunt,” before following Mack back inside. 

Jemma and Daisy walked to the outdoor bar. Jemma leaned towards the bartender, questioning, “Do you know if there are churros here? We heard a rumor, but aren’t sure if it’s true.”

The guy shrugged, pouring Daisy the shots she ordered. She quickly took them, wincing at the burn before straightening back up. “Okay, split up. We need to find those churros.” 

So they did, Jemma searching outside while Daisy stepped back inside. They both stopped every so often for booze, Daisy definitely more often, but her face lit up as she laid eyes on the glorious table of churros. She turned, sprinting out to find her Jemma. 

The biochemist was standing by the pool, caught up in a conversation with a newer recruit. They were working in a similar field, and would most likely see each other in the lab. Jemma, trying to be the mature and experienced Shield scientist, smiled and said, “Oh this is so exciting for you. Shield really is-“

She stopped short when Daisy nearly tackled her. She grabbed Jemma’s shoulder, practically buzzing with excitement, but most likely also alcohol.  
“Babes, I found the churros!”

She looked at the person she was talking to. “Got to go, bye!”

Jemma turned, marching away and determined to finally get a churro. But on her second step, instead of meeting solid ground she found water, and her foot splashed in, the rest of her following. She thrashed, gasping as she resurfaced. She looked over and saw Daisy, clutching her stomach and doubled over. She lost her balance and fell onto the ground, but that did little to subside her uproar of laughter. Jemma felt a smile grow on her face at how ridiculous this was, and soon she started laughing too. Others were looking at them, and she expected them to start laughing too, but all they did was stare. At the moment though, she didn’t care. 

At some point Coulson and May saw the commotion and came over, raising their eyebrows at the sight of Daisy curled on the ground, struggling to breathe, and Jemma floating in the swimming pool. She could feel makeup running down her face and she knew her phone and contents of her bag were most likely ruined. May seemed to guess she had fallen in, and gave a small smirk as she pulled Simmons out of the water. 

Jemma shivered as May went go fetch a towel. Daisy had calmed down slightly and came over, sitting next to the soaking wet scientist. “Sorry I didn’t clarify, but the churros weren’t in the pool,” she giggled. 

Jemma shook her head, using the wet hair to spray Daisy. “Thank for helping me out, _jerk.”_ She still couldn’t help the grin on her face. 

Meanwhile, Coulson grabbed her bag and began dumping the water out. It was almost comical how the steady stream seemed to last a whole forty seconds, and the three of them erupted in laughter again. Mack came over with May, bearing towels, and he looked at the mess. “What the hell?”

They helped dry Jemma and her belongings, wrapping her in layers of towels. 

“I’ll walk her back to the plane,” Daisy offered, her eyes still shining in amusement. “There’s probably a change of clothes.”

They stood up, heading towards the door together, and pretending not to see the stares. They were both in a fit of giggles as Jemma tracked wet footprints through the house. 

“I don’t think we’ll be getting those churros.”


	4. Daisy + Team

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Picks up right after Lincoln’s death in season three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have 2k words of pure angst :)

"So what now?"

The question hung in the air, heavy with the weight of the what they just watched. From the screen, it looked like the ship just disappeared with a tiny little explosion. But the ship carried Lincoln, and possibly the last shred of hope Daisy had for her future. 

The team was silent, Jemma with tears slowly falling down her cheeks, Fitz at her side and gripping her hand. Mack was still staring at the screen as if trying to make sense of what had just happened, while May and Coulson exchanged a meaningful glance before looking towards Daisy. 

The Inhuman's cries were the only thing breaking the silence. She sobbed, her knees pulled up to her chest as she curled further into herself, still clutching the radio Lincoln's voice was coming out of only minutes ago. Her eyes we squeezed shut and her lips trembled as each sob ripped through them, tearing through her entire body. 

Coulson moved very slowly, lowering himself onto the ground next to her but not quite touching her. "We should head home." His tone was soft, and he was looking towards Daisy but he was addressing the group. 

May nodded. "I'll get to the cockpit."

"No!"

Daisy's voice startled everyone, halting whatever movement they were about to make. The word cracked as it left her throat, and desperation seeped into her words and face. 

"We can't leave, he-he could still be alive. He has to be!" She sprang to her feet. "Lincoln's a tough bastard, he could've survived." She surged toward the scientists. "Right? FitzSimmons, there has to be a way, right? I mean, we all though you were dead but you really only went to another planet! There has to be a way. Some fancy science explanation that none of us understand."

Jemma shook her head, burying her face into Fitz's neck to avoid looking into Daisy's broken and pleading eyes. 

Fitz shook his head sadly. "Daisy, I'm sorry, but-" 

_"No!"_

The entire room shook as Daisy screamed. She stumbled backwards as if Fitz's words had physically hurt her. She took gasping breaths, feeling panic constricting her airway. Lincoln couldn't just be _gone._ She slid down the wall, choking as she struggled to take in air. 

Mack, Coulson, and May all made a move towards her at the same time, but Daisy reached towards May. May was her solid ground. This wasn’t her first panic attack and May had been there before, had taught her to control her emotions. She needed that now, especially since the entire plane was shaking and making everyone a bit unsteady. 

May was crouched at her side in half a second. She lowered herself down, placing one hand on Daisy’s knee and the other tentatively on the back of her head, but more assuredly when Daisy didn’t pull away. 

“Daisy. Breathe. Just listen to my breathing, and follow it.”

The inhuman curled into May’s chest, burying her face into the warm shoulder. Her cries didn’t stop, nor did her trembling body, but the room steadied. 

May kept a hand on Daisy’s head, gently smoothing out her hair as she sobbed, clutching at May like a lifeline. 

After a while, the wails quieted into soft cries, the grip on May’s arms lessening, Daisy’s body going limp as she shook. 

“I’m gonna get us home,” May murmured quietly, looking at Mack and gesturing with her eyes for him to take her place. He sat down, and together they slowly moved Daisy into his arms, listening to see if she made any noise of protest. 

The ride back was silent. Daisy didn’t move from her position, so Mack kept his arms wrapped firmly around her, his head on top of hers. Coulson moved to join May in the cockpit, while Jemma and Fitz eventually sat down on either side of Mack and Daisy. For a long while, nobody said anything, until a muffled voice spoke into Mack’s chest. 

“What?”

Daisy pulled away slightly, her eyes landing on the screen that still showed a view of space. “Do you think...was-was it painful? Death in space, is it painful?” She looked at Jemma, hoping to receive some comfort in the facts. 

Her friend exchanged a look with Fitz before carefully saying, “We don’t know whether he died from the explosion of from being exposed in space. Both are different circumstances.”

“If it was space?”

“Daisy, I really don’t think you want to-“

“Tell me.”

Daisy did her best to sound demanding, even if her lips were still trembling, and her face was wet with tear tracks, and her eyes were still shiny and glassy. 

Jemma opened her mouth, struggling to find the right words. She let out a puff of air and looked to Fitz for help, who answered instead. 

“The water in his skin and blood would vaporize and his body would expand outwards. Lungs would collapse and he would be paralyzed after 30 seconds, but after 15 seconds he would lose consciousness so he most likely wouldn’t feel most of it. It would only take a couple of minutes before he dies from asphyxiation or decompression.”

Daisy squeezed her eyes shut as he explained, and once he was done whispered a quiet, “Thank you,” before wordlessly burying her face back into Mack’s chest. 

Jemma’s hand went to gently rub her back, and she only spoke again once they had landed and were slowly making their way towards the exit. “He died a hero, Daisy.”

The Inhuman shook her head, feeling tears prick at her eyes again. “He shouldn’t have had to. He shouldn’t have been in that position. It was my fault. I shouldn’t have put him in that position. If it wasn’t for...if I hadn’t...” She let the sentence trail off, memories flooding her mind. Memories of doing Hive’s bidding, and _enjoying_ it. Suddenly the thought of her on top of Mack, trying to cave his chest in as he screamed, resurfaced, and the ground lurched under her feet. She thought it was only her being dizzy, but then she noticed everyone else trying to regain balance and realized it was her powers doing this. She yanked herself away from Mack, who still had his arm around her, and took off. She had to get out, before she hurt someone again. She felt like she was suffocating, and she bolted down the cargo ramp, shoving past May and Coulson who were there waiting for her. 

The team chased after her, calling her name, but once Daisy was far enough from the plane she collapsed on the hangar floor. Her entire body was buzzing as she fought to keep her powers inside of herself, but so many emotions were raging in her mind and they all demanded to be let out. She felt bruises creep up her arms, but her powers were dangerous, she couldn’t hurt someone with them. She had to expel the energy somehow, though. 

So when the team surrounded her, she yelled, “No! Get back!”

None of them seemed very driven to listen, but Coulson locked eyes with her for a moment before nodding. “You heard her. Give her room.”

They reluctantly back away, and Daisy was relieved to feel the buzzing in her ear die down some. She placed her hands on the ground, closed her eyes and _screamed._ But instead of a sound coming out of her throat, her powers exploded out of her palms, launching her up. She went up through the hangar door, way above the entire base. 

She looked up towards the expanse of blue above her, closing her eyes and picturing Lincoln as he flew towards it. She was as close as she could get to him, and she couldn’t help but reach a hand out. It was strangely calming, being up there. All the energy and emotions had been released in one blow, and she was sure her arms were broken by the sheer force of it, but at the moment she didn’t care. 

She inhaled deeply as she reached the peak of her height before slowly beginning to fall back down, gaining speed. She wondered what would happen if she didn’t stop the fall. If she slammed back into the ground and died right then and there. At this speed and height, it would surely be a quick death. 

But no. 

Her arms stretched at her sides, vibrations spreading around her body to cushion the fall. She ignored the spike of pain that shot through her wrists to her shoulders at the effort, but she couldn’t die. Not after Lincoln died so she could live. Not after everything she did. She had too much to make up for, too many things to do to reverse all the pain she caused. She didn’t deserve to take the easy way out. She shouldn’t be allowed to have the luxury of a quick and pointless death. When she died, it had to be as painful and she had once made others feel, and it had to be while she was atoning for her sins. 

So she landed on the ground. It wasn’t a pretty landing, and she was sure she’d have some bruises as a result, but she landed. 

She was splayed our flat on her back, panting heavily and staring up towards the sky, before Coulson appeared above her, offering a hand. 

Daisy took it, wincing as her arm screamed in protest. Once she was up, Coulson didn’t let go. He pulled her closer and grabbed her forearms gently, examining them. “Come on. Simmons can patch you up.”

So despite everything in her mind telling her she deserved the pain and that she should deal with it alone, she still found herself sitting on a medical bed, Simmons wrapping her arms with everyone else standing to the side. 

Once she was done, Coulson moved to her side and placed a gentle hand on her lower back. “We should have a funeral for Lincoln.”

Daisy snorted humorlessly, shoving herself off the table and away from him. “What’s the point? A funeral isn’t going to bring him back.”

“Daisy-“

“A funeral only wastes time.” She shook her head, blindly backing up and away from the team. “We don’t even have a body.” Tears sprang up in her eyes again, and she clenched her jaw tight. 

“It would help us grieve-“

“Help _me_ grieve, you mean. You wanna throw a little funeral, have me cry on your shoulders some more, then expect me to move on. Come to terms with the fact that the person I _love,_ died because of me.” Tears slid down her face. “Let me grieve however I want to. Leave me the hell alone!” She was at the doorway now. “Stop looking at me with your pity and your forgiveness and your worry because _I don’t deserve any of it!_ I killed Lincoln, I almost killed all of you, so leave me the hell alone!” 

She turned and bolted towards her room, and Mack made a move to follow, but May grabbed his arm. 

“Don’t. You heard what she said. Give her a bit to process things on her own.”

“Right now all of us are just painful reminders of what happened when she was under Hive’s influence. Let’s give her a bit of space,” Coulson added. 

Mack, Fitz, and Jemma slowly nodded, still looking at the door Daisy had just sprinted out of. 

“It isn’t fair, sir,” Jemma said sadly. “It isn’t fair that she has to go through all this.”

“Yeah, as if Daisy hasn’t been through enough.” Fitz shook his head, anger flashing in his eyes at the unfairness of everything. 

Coulson nodded. “I know. I know. We just have to be there when we can.”

The next morning he went to check up on Daisy, and found her door unlocked. He pushed it open, finding everything inside barren. 

She was gone.


	5. Daisy + May

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Set post 5x14

Daisy was in an empty room of the lighthouse, where she had managed to string a punching bag to the ceiling and was in the process of beating it senseless. 

The ache in her arms was distracting her from the ache still lingering in her neck, and the buzzing that had returned throughout her entire body. She closed her eyes and swung blindly, trying not to look the rope burns on her arms. But closing her eyes only resulted in seeing Fitz, standing over her with a scalpel against the darkness of her eyelids. 

"Daisy?" 

She whirled around, not registering the voice and ready to tell them to leave her alone, but froze seeing May. "I didn't know you were back."

May raised an eyebrow. "What the hell happened while we were gone? Fitz is in a cell, Mack and Yo-Yo said they didn't even really know what happened and that I should talk to you or Simmons, but Simmons hasn't even come out of her room." 

Daisy only growled out, "We got the rift closed." And proceeded her assault on the bag. 

May quickly picked up on the rage in Daisy's brutal and violent hits, and the way her eyes were cold and harsh. But she also picked up on the way her lips were pressed tightly together as if to stop them from quivering, and the way her hands trembled as they pulled back. She moved forward and grabbed Daisy's wrist, stopping her from the throwing another blow. She examined the mark on her arm, then looked up at her again, prodding her to explain. 

Daisy sighed, letting her arms fall to her sides before tilting her head so the bandage on her neck where the inhibitor should be was visible. 

May frowned and reached a hand forward to gently brush some of Daisy's hair out of the way. She touched the edge of the bandage questioningly, watching the other girl's face for any signs of protest before carefully pulling the gauze back. She stared at the swollen skin around nasty deep cut, and May knew enough about wounds to know that this would definitely scar. The stitches were done carelessly, so she knew it definitely wasn't the work of Simmons. 

Rather than ask the expected question of what had happened, she covered the cut again and asked, "You stitch yourself up?"

Daisy nodded. "Jemma wasn't in the right state of mind to do it. Not that I was either." She swallowed, then reached a hand out to quake the punching bag. The force pulled it from the ceiling and sent it flying to other side of the room. 

"Thought you didn't want your powers back," May remarked, raising an eyebrow again, watching as Daisy's shoulders shook. 

"I didn't. Though apparently what I want doesn't matter."

The marks on her arms, the cut on her neck, and Daisy's rage all clicked together in her mind. A sickening feeling settled in her stomach at the thought. The only part that didn't quite fit was...

"Fitz." Daisy almost spat his name out. "Programmed the robot to shoot at Mack, choke me unconscious, point a gun at Jemma and Deke. Strapped me to a table and was already cutting into me before he even realized what he was doing. He thought it had all been the Doctor, from the rift. He realized he had done everything and by some twisted logic decided that he might as well go along with it."

"And you're sure it was him?"

"Jemma called it some split personality disorder or something because of the framework. But it was definitely him." She walked over and fell against the wall, her body sagging and voice turning somber. "It was definitely him."

May followed, sliding down next to her. "Never would've thought Fitz to be capable of something like that."

"I didn't either, until I was screaming and begging him to stop and he ignored it." Daisy looked down at her hands, curling them together and making a small ball of energy there. "I guess this is how it happens, huh? How I become the Destroyer of Worlds."

"We can still stop that from happening, Daisy."

"Yeah..." She let her hands drop down into her lap, the energy dissipating. "I just can't stop thinking about it. What could've possibly driven me to a point of wanting to destroy the world? I know you, FitzSimmons, and Yo-Yo all survive, and I would like to think that as long as you guys are okay then I would be able to stay somewhat stable. But I guess after what Fitz did, even this family isn't set in stone."

"We don't even know if you do it on purpose. Or if it was actually you."

"Look at the facts, May."

"I'm looking at them right now. And that facts are," She grabbed Daisy's shoulder, making them face each other. "That you're a good person. No matter how much you try and convince yourself otherwise. You aren't Quake: Destroyer Of Worlds, you're Daisy Johnson, and Daisy, you would never purposefully destroy the world. That isn't who you are."

After a moment Daisy nodding, moving so she could rest her head on May's shoulder, who surprisingly didn't protest or tense. They shared a moment of peaceful silence before May spoke again. 

"Just like the Doctor isn't who Fitz is. You know that, right? Fitz would never hurt you unless he believed it was the only way. He's dealt with too many things that messed with his mind. You know that, right?"

For a long while Daisy didn't answer. Eventually she said, "I know. That doesn't make it any less painful though."

May sighed. "I know."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, I’ve been writing lots of angst lately, but The next chapter will have some fluff :)


	6. Daisy + Mack

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Set early Season 3. Written for the aosficnet weekly dialogue prompt #69: “I’m saying this because I care about you.”

Daisy jumped at a hand on her shoulder, blinking rapidly to clear her bleary eyes that had been staring unfocused at a computer screen for too long. She spun the chair around and found Mack standing there, an eyebrow raised. 

“You said you were gonna go to sleep soon.”

“And I will!”

“That was four hours ago.”

Daisy frowned, looking at her phone and seeing that it was already three in the morning. “Oh.” 

“Go to _sleep_ Tremors. You can’t help anybody like this.”

“Okay, you’re right, but just give me like five more minutes.”

_“Daisy.”_

“But I almost found the location of this Inhuman!”

“And you can finish tracking them tomorrow, and we’ll go after them _tomorrow.”_

“They could be in _Africa_ tomorrow!”

“You have to stop working yourself into the ground. I get you’re trying to look out for all the Inhumans, but you’ve gotta look after yourself first. Im saying this because I care about you, Tremors, and I’m not the only one.”

Daisy looked at him for moment before sighing and closing her laptop. “Fine.” She hauled herself to her feet bumping her shoulder against Mack. “Fluffy teddy bear,” she teased. 

“Yeah, yeah, whatever.” He rolled his eyes, walking her towards her room. “Get some rest, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Mhm,” Daisy mumbled back, just now realizing how long it’d been since she slept. Exhaustion was beginning to kick in, and suddenly her bed seemed much more appealing. “G’night Mack.”


	7. Daisy + team

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Set post season 2 only Jemma didn’t get taken by the Monolith.

Bobbi shook Jemma and Fitz awake, pressing a finger to her lips once their eyes were open. A small smile spread over her face.

"Come on, we gotta finish setting up. Quickly, before Daisy wakes up. Get dressed, grab your presents, and meet in the lounge."

The pair rubbed the sleep from their eyes, but soon their faces lit up in excitement and they rushed to get ready.

In the lounge, the rest of the team was blowing up balloons, setting a table up with food, setting up an alcohol station (Hunter insisted that every decent party had an alcohol station), and pushing couches and chairs together for them to lounge on. The furniture formed a circle with a table in the middle that was piled with gifts.

Once everything was ready,  
Hunter asked, "So what's the plan? Cause I don't think jumping out of darkness and screaming 'surprise' is a smart thing to do to an agent with powers."

Coulson shrugged. "Just leave the lights on. When she walks in we can say surprise."

"You left a note by her bed for her to see right?" Mack questioned.

Fitz suddenly sprang up from his chair, holding up the tablet with the security feeds. "She's coming!"

Everyone quieted down, watching the door in anticipation. After a moment, Daisy walked in. Sleep was still evident in her eyes and her hair was a mess as she held up the note.

But she stopped short at the doorway, eyes widening as the team yelled, "Surprise!" And Hunter exploded some party poppers, sending a spray of confetti into the air.

They swarmed her in hugs before she even had time to process what was going. Once the hugs were done, Jemma grabbed her arm and pulled her further into the room. "It's July second! Meaning it's the first year you get to celebrate your birthday on the actual date! So we wanted to make it special!"

A huge grin spread over Daisy's face as Fitz shoved a plate into her arm. Everyone began stacking food onto their plates and then piled onto the couches and chairs. As she sat down on the edge, next to Jemma with May in a chair to her left, Daisy eyed the wrapped gifts in the center.

She pointed to them. "Those are all for me?"

Coulson nodded in confirmation.

"Jesus," the Inhuman breathed. "When did you guys have time for this? Don't you work? And how did you hide it all from me?"

Chuckles echoed throughout the room as Bobbi said, "We're secret government agents. We know how hide something."

"And remember the old board games we used to play on the Bus? We have them, if you're up for losing." Fitz gestured at the stack of games on the floor.

"Yeah just cause it's your birthday don't expect us to go easy on you, love." Hunter grinned.

"Oh I wouldn't dream of it. I would be disappointed if you didn't put up at least _some sort of fight_ before your inevitable demise." Daisy rubbed her hands together. "So what're we playing?"

"I don't know, what do you want? There's scrabble!" Jemma held up the box, to which Daisy immediately shook her head at.

"Nooo, you always come up with words that don't exist in the English language!"

"You mean the queen's English."

"Hear, hear." Hunter raised his beer bottle towards her.

Daisy rolled her eyes, but couldn't help the amused smile on her face. "Whatever, we're still not playing scrabble. Pull out Monopoly, I'm a frickin' genius at that game."

"Oh, better get comfortable, we're gonna be here all day," Coulson laughed, squirming in his seat.

Daisy's head snapped up to look at him as a thought occurred to her. "Wait! Do we have the whole day? Like, no missions or anything? For _all of us?_ Cause I cant remember a time when everyone had a free day on the same day."

The others grinned, smug at having pulled it off. "Yep." Bobbi popped the p for good measure. "Coulson had to fix some scheduling and things, but all of us got the day off."

"As long as there's no emergencies," Mack murmured.

"Shh! Don't jinx it!" Fitz exclaimed.

Another wide smile spread across Daisy's face. "Okay then, I guess we are playing Monopoly."

~

They were three and a half hours into the game (Hunter was the first get out, something that he vigorously complained about, followed by Coulson, Mack, and Bobbi, until it was eventually just Daisy, FitzSimmons, and May left) when Daisy got an alert on her phone.

"Can someone check what that is, I can't take my eyes off this board."

Coulson grabbed it. "It just says 'Inhuman alert' What does that mean?"

Everyone paused, looking up curiously. "I created a software that'll give my phone notifications if anything happens regarding the Inhumans. You know, sightings, publicly using powers, anyone just having gone through terregenesis. Open it, what happened?"

"Inhuman with new power of enhanced hearing is cornered by a group of teenagers," Coulson read aloud. 

Daisy bit her lip, glancing back at the board.

"Well what are we waiting for? Wheels up in ten, Hunter, you're with us," May said, getting up.

"But you guys did all this stuff for me..."

"And it'll still be here when you get back. Come on, we know you really want to. For you, of course your birthday has to include some ass kicking," Bobbi smiled.

"I'll make sure these two don't cheat while your gone," Mack volunteered, pointing at Fitz and Simmons. "Go beat em' up, Tremors."

After a quiet moment Daisy. "Alright, fine. I'll be back as soon as possible." She bolted out of the room, only to come back a few minutes later. "Where the hell are my gauntlets?"

"Uhh, the older versions are in the lab on my table." Fitz scratched his neck.

Daisy raised an eyebrow. "What happened to my other ones?"

"I had to uhh, I took them to um, well you see I had to make some adjustments-"

"Daisy! Let's go!" Hunter and Coulson passed her in the hall. "May's waiting."

She gave Fitz one last look before leaving, and he let out his breath.

"Man, that was a train wreck, Turbo. You're lucky she was in a rush," Mack laughed.

"Well I didn't wanna spoil my gift!"

"Our gift," Jemma corrected. "We need to hurry up and finish this game of Monopoly so Daisy can open her presents."

Bobbi snorted. "It would go a lot faster if you weren't so competitive."

"You can't fault us for wanting to win!" Jemma complained.

"I can if it leads to a game that's over three hours."

~

The mission was successful, and Daisy spent a while talking to the new Inhuman, Thalia, before she ended up bolting anyways. Daisy wanted to go after her, but Hunter insisted that was a problem for another day, and they should head back.

By the time they made it to the base, it was around 7 and the others were still sitting in the lounge.

"Dinner's in the kitchen. Leave room for cake," Bobbi called out.

Once everyone had eaten they pushed Daisy in a chair and told her to stay there. A moment later Coulson came out carrying a cake, the rest of them following and singing happy birthday. She laughed, feeling her eyes unintentionally well up as they set the (very large) cake in front of her. They cheered as the song ended, all surrounding her chair as she blew out the candles.

"God, I don't even know why I'm crying," Daisy chuckled, rubbing at her eyes. "This is just the first time anyone's ever done something like this for me. Foster kids don't get birthdays, but...I'm not a foster kid anymore. Thank you guys."

Their hands squeezed her shoulders, smiling as May cut the cake, getting everyone a slice. The group migrated back to the couches, where they talked and laughed over the desert.

Daisy grinned, looking at Fitz and Jemma. "You guys remember when we were kids on the bus?"

Fitz and Jemma chuckled. "We've certainly come a long ways from then," Jemma laughed.

"A _very_ long ways," May snorted.

Coulson laughed, pointing at Daisy. "I long for the days where you ran _away_ from the danger."

"Those days existed?" Bobbi joked. "She didn't always go after the bad guys?"

"She didn't even know how to fire a gun," May smirked softly. "She spent missions holed up in a van running tech support."

"Hey! That was only cause you guys would never let me out!"

They talked for almost an hour more, about this and that, and took a few pictures before insisting that Daisy opened her presents. She got a few upgrades on her gauntlets and laptop from FitzSimmons, a hula girl from Coulson ("So your other one doesn't get lonely."), and necklace with a daisy on it from May, a bracelet from Hunter and Bobbi ("Meaning I picked it out, he just helped pay for it.") and a plaque that read ~~Skye~~ _Daisy Johnson: Born July 2nd 1988 to Calvin and Jiaying_ from Mack.

So maybe they never finished that game of Monopoly, and maybe Daisy fell asleep sprawled out on top of Mack, Jemma, and Bobbi, with her head in May's lap, but that was okay. That was great. It was the first full night of sleep she had gotten in a long time, and she was practically glowing when she woke up the next morning and found that no one had moved. That she was still on top of people, and Coulson was asleep in a chair nearby, and Fitz and Hunter were passed out together on the floor, and May's hand was still resting on Daisy's head, and it was the first time she felt completely wanted and cared for and _loved._

If not knowing her birthday for the past 27 years led to celebrating like this with these people, she would do it all over again.


	8. Daisy + Jemma

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Set post season 5

"This is so confusing. So I... _died?_ And that broke the loop?"

Jemma squeezed his hand. "Well, we aren't sure exactly what broke the loop, it was multiple things. I know this is a lot. We don't have to go over everything that happened right now."

"I don't think we could explain everything even if we wanted to. A lot of things happened. You should sleep on it," Mack suggested. 

"No I've _been_ sleeping." Fitz rubbed his face. "It's just hard to picture everything." 

"Well hey, you saved us all in the future. For what it's worth, you were pretty badass." Elena grinned, and everyone in the room nodded in agreement. 

Fitz was quiet for a moment before looking at Daisy, who was sitting on the other couch with Mack and hadn't said much. 

"Daisy." She looked up. "What happened with us? I wanna at least know that right now, cause you haven't looked me in the eye since I got back."

Her eyes darted towards Jemma quickly. "Nothing. Don't worry about that right now. You have enough to think about as is."

"And it would help having one of my best friends there to help. I wanna know what happened." 

"I'll be there if you need any help, you know that. I'm just thinking about Coulson, how happy he would be to see you alive. That's it, okay?" She stood abruptly. "I'm going to head to bed. I'll see you tomorrow."

A little while later someone knocked on Daisy's door. She steeled herself and called for them to come in, expecting Fitz but not exactly that surprised to see Jemma. 

"Hi," The scientist spoke rather timidly, and an uncomfortable feeling settled in Daisy's stomach. It wasn't supposed to be this awkward between them. Jemma had been her best friend, and somehow she had become all but a stranger. They had little interactions, and those were tense and strange. 

Her mind flashed back to being in the future, where somehow her relationship with Jemma had been intact. 

_Here we are again._

_Us against the world._

At some point that had changed, and Daisy found herself facing the world alone, and she didn't like it one bit. 

Jemma cleared her throat before continuing. "I just wanted to thank you. For earlier with Fitz. Not telling him about...what happened."

"Oh." Daisy looked down at her hands, fidgeting. "Don't worry about it. He has enough on his mind to be stressing about something he didn't do. I think he knew I was lying though." She turned her gaze back at Jemma again, frowning. "He's gonna find out eventually. When do you want me to tell him? Like how much time do you want me to wait?

"I don't own him, Daisy. It was something that happened between you two, it's your decision."

"I just figured you wanted to spend some time getting his head wrapped around the other stuff. Knowing you I figured you have a whole plan already." Daisy's tone was light, and her heart leapt at seeing a small smile on the other girl's face. "He's your husband, I just wanted to make sure it was okay with you before saying something that could potentially hurt him."

"He's not my husband," Jemma whispered so quietly Daisy hardly heard it. 

Daisy moved over on the bed, debating in her mind before reaching a hand out and praying that Jemma would take it. She held her breath as the girl looked at it, then looked up at Daisy, then finally took a step forward, grabbing Daisy’s hand and allowing herself to be pulled on the bed the next to her. 

Jemma inhaled deeply before taking a chance and leaning her head on Daisy’s shoulder. For a moment she thought she was pushing her luck, but then she felt Daisy place her head on top of Jemma’s. They were quiet for a moment before Daisy quietly murmured, “I’ve missed you.”

Jemma almost wanted to cry in relief. “Me too.”

“You know, in the whirlwind of everything, I don’t think you and I ever got to talk about the fact that _Deke_ was your grandson.”

Jemma chuckled. “Fitz was _not_ happy to hear that.”

“I can imagine,” Daisy snorted. “Deke was a mess. Hard to believe he was related to you guys.”

“Not really. I can see it. He had that same...youth Fitz and I had back on the bus. Like, remember that time I tried to flirt by complimenting the guy’s head?”

Daisy full on laughed this time, pulling away from Jemma slightly. “Oh god, that was hilarious! Or, or that time Fitz got his cart stuck in a door? Or that time you guys kept trying to prank me?”

Jemma joined her in giggling. “Things were easier on the bus. Simpler.”

“Though it definitely didn’t feel that way at the time.” 

“I miss when our biggest problem was a human. Now we have aliens and time travel. Though I suppose time travel is what saved Fitz...” The smile dissolved off her face, and she played with the wedding ring on her neck. She figured it was best to take it off for the moment, but she left it on a necklace, along with Fitz’s. She felt a tear slip down her cheek and hastily brushed it away. 

Daisy quickly sobered up. “Hey...you can cry, Jemma. This can’t be easy.”

“I just- I feel guilty for grieving when May is losing Coulson and you lost Lincoln. I got Fitz back, so why am I upset?”

“Whoa, what?” Daisy’s eyes widened. “You’re allowed to grieve! Yes, you got Fitz back, but you had all these experiences and memories with him that he doesn’t know about anymore. You got _married_ and he doesn’t know that. You have every right to mourn.”

“God, I’m sorry Daisy.” Jemma flung herself at the Inhuman, wrapping her in a hug. 

“Hey, you don’t have to be sorry for being sad around me, okay?”

She shook her head. “No, it’s not that. I’m sorry for not being there for you. For turning my back. You didn’t deserve that.” More tears slid down her face and she sniffled into Daisy’s shoulder, hoping the other girl wouldn’t push her away. 

Daisy didn’t. She held tighter. “Don’t worry about it. We all did things we regret. You were just trying to do what was best. It’s not like I was cut out to be leader anyways.” 

Jemma pulled away, wiping at her face. “Maybe not yet, but for what it’s worth I think you could be a great leader someday.” Daisy doubted it, but she appreciated the thought. They sat in silence for a while. Not exactly a comfortable silence, they weren’t there yet, but it wasn’t tense anymore. Eventually Jemma asked, “Are you okay?”

Daisy started, looking up in surprise. “What?”

“Are you okay?” The scientist repeated. “With everything that’s happened, I don’t think anyone’s bothered to check up on you. Are you okay?”

Daisy looked away. “Why wouldn’t I be? I’m not the one who lost my husband. Or the one losing the love of my life, o-or the one who lost her arms. I’m fine.”

“Daisy,” Jemma prodded gently. “If I’m allowed to be upset so are you. You had to deal with this whole ‘Destroyer Of Worlds’ nonsense. And you were the one strapped to that table. And you always had a special relationship with Coulson. You’re allowed to not be fine.”

Daisy was quiet for a long moment, but eventually she quietly whispered, “I’m _still_ piecing myself together from Hive and Lincoln. If I break now over all of this, I don’t think I’ll ever recover.” She closed her eyes, rubbing at them. “I planned on leaving once we found Fitz.”

Seeing Jemma’s surprise and worry, she quickly assured, “Not permanently. Just for a bit. It’s just...being here, without any missions or crisis to worry about, it leaves me in my head for too long. It’s a mess up there,” she chuckled humorlessly, gesturing up at her head. “And it’s not you guys’ fault but being around here makes me miss Lincoln _so much._ You and Fitz have each other, Mack has Yoyo, and Coulson and May went off together. I was thinking of taking some time off, clear my head, maybe meet up with Bobbi and Hunter to say hi, I don’t really know. Maybe go check and see how my dad’s doing.”

Jemma pursed her lips before saying, “Well we’re quite a messed up group, aren’t we?”

This managed to get a laugh from Daisy, who wasn’t expecting that answer at all. 

“I have an idea,” Jemma moved back over to lean against Daisy. “How about, once I know Fitz is up to speed and going to be okay, the both of us could go on vacation. And maybe invite May and Elena if their up for it. No mention of relationships, just us going out and having fun.”

“Oh, you really don’t have to-“

“So it’s decided!”

“No, I’m serious you don’t have to do that for me, you should stay-“

“Daisy.” Jemma quickly cut her off. “I seem to recall last time you went off on your own it wasn’t pretty. And I think all of us could benefit from this time off.”

“I still haven’t fixed things with Yoyo,” Daisy mumbled.

“You will eventually,” Jemma reassured. “She’s not happy with what happened either.”

Eventually Daisy gave in. “Fine. I’ll go on this trip with you.”

There were still so many things to correct, so many relationships to correct, but for the first time in a while Daisy and Jemma had hope. 

_Us against the world._


	9. Daisy + Coulson

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Set during season 4 after Daisy’s returned to the team.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so I had a bit of writers block for a while, just an utter lack of motivation to write, but I think I’m slowly getting back into it? I’m working on a longer vacation chapter that’ll be a sequel to the last Daisy + Jemma chapter I posted, but that’s turning out to be much loner than I expected, so here’s this little short angst with fluff chapter while you wait. Also, I don’t write enough about Daisy and her dad

Daisy winced as Jemma dug a bullet out of her arm, finishing the last bandage. She offered a small smile, gently squeezing her hand. "That's everything. Just try not to destroy all my work until you're fully healed. We should let you rest now." Daisy nodded, carefully laying down again. 

The others, satisfied that she would be okay at the moment, began to head out, but Coulson hung back. May shot him a curious look, to which he only waved a hand off, gesturing for her to go. 

Once they were gone he pulled up a chair to sit next to Daisy's head. "So, you wanna tell me what happened back there?" 

She shrugged in response. "I don't know what you're talking about. The guy got the jump on me. Could've happened to anyone."

He shook his head. "We both know you should've seen him coming. You would've seen him coming if you were fully aware of what was going on. So, what happened back there?"

She bit her lip, averting her eyes to the ceiling. "I was jut distracted, all right? I was a little tired."

"Daisy. When was the last time you slept?"

"Last night..?" She turned her head away from him. 

"Daisy."

"Okay the night before that."

_"Daisy."_

"Fine! I don't actually know when the last full night of sleep was. I doze off for a few minutes here and there, but I'm practically running on caffeine and energy drinks."

"Why won't you let yourself sleep?"

"No, it's not that I don't let myself, it's that I _can't."_ She lowered her voice, embarrassment creeping at the edges of her tone. 

"Nightmares?" Coulson guessed. She nodded, but didn’t respond, so he gently prodded her to elaborate. “Talk to me, Daisy. You’ve gotta let someone in because locking all of this away, it doesn’t work. It just hurts you and the people who love you.”

She didn’t say anything for a long while, her eyes slowly pooling with tears before she continued, mumbling now. "I can't close my eyes without seeing Hive or Lincoln or-or myself...I keep seeing myself hurting one of you guys or destroying everything and I just want it to _stop._ I want to stop hearing voices _screaming_ in my head." She squeezed her eyes shut, taking in a deep shuddering breath. 

“Hey,” he murmured softly, gently resting a hand on her arm. “This isn’t the solution. You’re going to get yourself killed.”

Daisy turned her head away from him, letting out a quiet whisper, her voice broken. “What if that’s what I deserve?”

Coulson’s heart clenched. “No. You deserve _so_ much better than you’ve been given Daisy.” When she didn’t answer, he pursed his lips. “Okay fine, what about Fitz and Simmons? Mack? May? All of us care about you, you wanna put us through losing someone? After everyone we’ve already lost?”

She was quiet for a moment before letting out a muffled sob. “I’m sorry.”

Coulson kicked his shoes off and shrugged off his jacket. He laid down on the bed, gathering Daisy into his arms, being mindful of her injuries and taking note of how small her frame had become. 

She sniffled, croaking out, “What are you doing?” She sounded so small and childlike that for a moment Coulson saw a little girl who had never had a family before, who had been abandoned and hurt too many times, and he gently ran a hand up her spine. 

“You have to get some sleep, so I’m gonna be here with you. And if you have a nightmare...I’ll still be here.”

“You-you don’t have to do this,” she mumbled, even as she felt herself sinking into his chest. 

“I know.”

The tension that had seemed permanently etched in Daisy’s muscles for months slowly dissipated as she nuzzled further into him, and she finally stopped fighting the exhaustion that had been weighing down on her. She closed her eyes, letting the darkness wash over her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also, I published a multi chapter Skimmons AU If you wanna check that out! And I don’t say this often, but kudos and comments are always appreciated! :)


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